Puzzling
by Saendie
Summary: Where is Yugi's father? Conspiracy theory fanfic! *UPDATED* Chapter Two!
1. Escape

Puzzling  
By Saendie  
Chapter One: Next Candidate  
This story is from me watching too many Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes while eating chocolate-covered cherries. I don't own Yugioh and if you thought I did I'm flattered, but I don't. I know Yugi's mother is named Ashita Wo, but so far there's no mention of Yugi's father or why his mother has a different last name. So I figured it couldn't hurt to take a shot at what **I **thought might be the reason. Anyone who's read Value will have a hint at my idea. It's a conspiracy theory fic and Diane is my form of repressed anger at a certain old boss. She traumatized me man, it's all her fault! *hiss from cave*  
Rated PG for cussing and violence and anything else I feel like putting in here.  
*********  
Gikyoku stared with wide, horrified eyes at the enormous screen just above him, then down at the smaller computer monitor with the complex riddle he had to solve.   
The screams were deafening now and he wiped sweat from his face as more tiles gave out, sending another victim plunging to their death.   
He kept hitting blocks.   
Another fell.  
He didn't know!  
The last plummeted and both screens finally went blank. Gikyoku covered his face in his hands, left alone in the darkness for about ten minutes to let the guilt of his failure sink in. The door behind him opened and a woman with long red hair stepped inside with a very angered look on her face. "That was the third failure this month."  
Gikyoku looked up at her, lavender eyes showing years of pain and torment. "I'm tired."  
"You're obsolete. It's time for the next candidate."  
The man regarded her oddly. "Next…candidate?" He had been there for fifteen years. "Who?"  
"Someone you've never met, nor never will." Diane turned and waved a hand, calling in a few guards to take Gikyoku away. "Take him back to the center." Once he was taken away Diane pulled out her cell phone. "He's finally used up, have the child brought here." Turning back to the view screen it lit up with seven different images. The Millennium Items. The one of the Puzzle in the center had a red outline around the picture. "Time to dual." She laughed wickedly before leaving the room.

**********  
Yugi Mutou placed the flowers gently on the grave and placed his hands together, saying an ancient prayer to the gods. When he was finished he smiled at the kanji carved on the smooth stone. "Hi dad, sorry I haven't visited in awhile. Things have been really busy ever since I won the tournament. I told you about it before I left on the ship to save grandpa. I'm glad he's still here, but you must be lonely. Mamma still won't talk about you…" Yugi fell silent for a few moments, then brightened up.   
"The holidays are almost here and so is my birthday. I'll be fifteen but I still am not growing. Yami says that I'm just taking my time, although if I look like him when I start growing I'll really taking it for all it's worth. Yami stays inside the puzzle a lot now because girls keep chasing after him every time he comes out." Yugi laughed. "I think it's great, but he keeps saying it's annoying. Raving fangirls, he calls them. I don't know, I think he's just shy."   
He raised a hand to lay it against the surface of the tombstone, his fingers tracing the carved kanji. "I wonder what you look like…" Suddenly the alarm on his watch went off, reminding him that he had to meet up with his friends. "Time to go dad, see ya!" Yugi stood up and jogged out of the cemetery.  
***********  
The ride back to the center was routine. They had done it for years now, but now they no longer needed restraints or drugs. The fight was gone, as far as they were concerned. At first their prisoner was the worst, always balking at any authority and doing his best to be a troublemaker. Over time it had turned to pranks, then soon he just listlessly sat there for the rides to the 'torture chamber', then back to the holding cells of the center.   
The words of Diane rang in their ears though. It was time to get rid of Gikyoku.  
"No more rides huh?" Tetsuro finally broke the uneasy quiet.  
Gikyoku smirked a little. "Doesn't matter. I'm sick of that bitch."  
"Too bad. We'll miss ya."  
"Yeah, but at least—" He didn't have time to finish his sentence as the van sudden swerved and rolled, slamming hard into a guard rail and ejecting the passengers as the backdoors flew open. Gikyoku gasped and reached scrambled for some kind of hand hold but gravity and momentum were too much and threw him out and over a river. He barely had enough time to register that this was going to hurt before plunging into the water.   
He knew he blacked out at some point but all he remembered was clenching his eyes shut, then struggling against currents of water. By the time he managed to drag himself to the river's edge and up the bank he could barely remember how he managed to survive drowning. Laying his head down on the grass and trying to get his heart rate under control, only one thing kept him going. "Ashita…"  
*************  
The sweatdrop on Yugi Mutou's head soon gained three more as Yami and Otogi went at it. The same old argument about dice versus cards. They were practically throwing things at each other but trying to be civil while keeping their cool. Otogi's cheerleading group weren't helping as Yugi swore he saw Yami's sennen eye appear several times, ready to turn them into Kentucky Fried Fangirl if they did another cheer for the green-eyed teenager. He let them goat it for a while before tapping Yami on the shoulder.  
"---those dice are probably rigged--huh?" The Game King glanced down at his gentler self.  
"Time to go home, mamma hates it when I'm late for dinner." Yugi reminded him patiently.  
"We'll continue this later, Otogi." Yami said.  
"Any time, you know I love showing you you're wrong." Otogi grinned, curling a lock of hair around his finger.  
"Yay! Yay! Otogi!" The girls jumped up, doing their cheer and Yugi quickly reformed with Yami before things got ugly.  
"Ahehehe…bye Ogoti!" Yugi waved and left Dark Crown to walk down the street to the Turtle Game Shop. It was dusk and getting dark but Yugi walked with a sure step. He knew if anything attacked him that Yami would make them very sorry. The Egyptian Pharaoh was his life-long guardian and protector. 

Everything Yugi wanted to be…tall, brilliant, handsome, and full of courage. He counted himself as being blessed as Yami was nothing like the Millennium Ring that ruled Ryou with an iron grip. Yugi felt terrible that Ryou didn't have even a friendship with his Item.   
Lost in thought he only noticed the man standing before the Turtle Game Shop door until he nearly bumped into him. The man had long black hair and was at least two feet taller than him. "Um, sir?" The man turned a little and Yugi stared at the violet colored eyes that matched his own. "Are you alright?"  
The man snapped out of his trance. "Sogoroku. Is he still here?"

Yugi nodded and pushed open the door. "Yeah, is he expecting you?"

"Not exactly…I have to speak to him though."

"I'll go get him!" Yugi smiled and hurried up the stairs to where the rest of the household was above the Game Shop. He knocked on the door. "Jisan, there's a man here asking for you."

"Oh?" The door opened and Sogoroku stepped out. "Who?"

"Not sure…he's waiting downstairs though." 

Sogoroku Mutou nodded and went down the stairs. Rounding a corner he nearly had a heart attack. "Gikyoku…?"

"Hi dad." 

Sogoroku's eyes were wide with shock. "You're dead…is this your spirit?" He poked him but he was solid. 

"I'm not dead…it's a long story."

"I'll say!"

Yugi frowned at the odd exchange between his grandfather and the stranger. "What's going on, Jisan?"

Sogoroku rubbed his forehead. "I wish I knew…Ashita--"

Gikyoku cut him off. "Does she still live around here?"

"She lives here now. Son, where have you been?"

A loud crash from the front door startled all of them and they turned to see Ashita having dropped the groceries she was carrying. Her face was pale, white as a sheet as she kept her gaze locked on Gikyoku.

The tall man took a step towards her. "Ashita, you're alright!" When he got near she fainted right there, making him have to catch her. "Why did she faint?"

"We all thought you were dead this whole time!" Sogoroku said, a bit of anger edged in his voice. "How dare you have just vanished like that."

"It wasn't my fault, dad!"

"You never even bothered to try and contact us or even your own son." 

"….son?" Gikyoku's gaze traveled up to see Yugi standing there with a confused look. "I have a son?"

*******

To Be Continued…  



	2. Family

Puzzling  
Chapter Two: Family  
This story is from me watching too many Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes   
while eating chocolate-covered cherries. I don't own Yugioh and if you thought I did   
I'm flattered, but I don't. I know Yugi's mother is named Ashita Wo, but so far   
there's no mention of Yugi's father or why his mother has a different last name. So I   
figured it couldn't hurt to take a shot at what I thought might be the reason.   
Conspiracy theory fanfic. Yes, Yami's father really was named Aknamkanon, see   
Japanese Shonen Jump 2003 #2. Ahrigato Luna-sama!  
No Sir, We Have No Mary Sues nor Millennium Wallpaper   
Rated PG for cussing and violence and anything else I feel like putting in here.  
Happy Holidays!  
*******************  
~Ashita remembered that day vividly. It was winter and there was a brief storm   
earlier that ended up drenching Domino City. She pulled on her jacket and took her   
umbrella with her in case the weather decided to down pour again. Leaving the   
apartment, Ashita Wo decided to walk to the Turtle Game Shop instead of driving.   
The sky was still cloudy with gray puffs hovering close signaling that snow was in the   
near future. Ashita liked snow though, it was always wondrous to her. She was   
certain if she was going to have a girl she would name her Yuki.  
Approaching the brightly colored shop, she paused to brush her dark auburn hair   
from violet-colored eyes. It always amaze her that such a seemingly small shop   
could actually be very large inside. Ashita pushed open the door, ringing the golden   
bell atop the wooden frame and entered to see the one person she loved more than   
anything. "Gikyoku."  
The dark-haired man turned and grinned, rushing down the aisles to scoop her up   
and deliver a kiss. "Missed you."  
Ashita arched an eyebrow. "Been only since yesterday."  
"Every day without you—"  
"Yes dear, I know that line, I've seen that movie as well." She cut him off playfully.   
After some more jibes, Ashita moved towards the home part of the shop. "Tea?"  
"Actually none is made yet. I'm still unloading new stock." Gikyoku gave an   
apologetic smile and patted her backside. "Make some, then we'll 'play'." He teased   
and ducked to avoid her swat. Although they were engaged, they had been together   
a number of times.  
Ashita rolled her eyes and continued to the kitchen while Gikyoku went back outside   
to unload the rest of the day's shipment.  
The deafening explosion almost made Ashita's heart stop. The shop shook from the   
shock wave, blowing out windows and damaging the building structure. When Ashita   
made it outside all she could see was a massive burning heap of metal that used to   
be the unloading van before darkness consumed her and she passed out, hearing a   
scream that was from herself.  
A gasoline explosion was blamed for the fireball. The investigation concluded that   
there was a leak in the fuel tank and that static electricity ignited it when Gikyoku   
touched the metal of the truck. Still…no body was ever found.  
Eight months later, Ashita gave birth to a son and Sogoroku insisted she live with   
him to let him help raise the boy so she didn't have to go through this alone. Ashita   
named him "Yugi" after the final word she heard from her beloved.~  
  
Ashita rubbed her forehead as the memory faded and she looked at the now older   
face of Gikyoku Mutou as she pulled herself out of the faint. She was laying on the   
floor in his arms. Pulling herself together, the woman got to her feet and stared at   
him.  
Gikyoku stood as well. "Ashita…what's this about a son?"  
Ashita turned her gaze up to where Yugi was. "Yes, I have a son…his name is Yugi."  
Gikyoku started towards the stairs, causing the teenager at the top of them to turn   
and bolt into his bedroom and slam the door shut.  
Sogoroku stopped Gikyoku with a hand on his shoulder. "Don't go up there…leave   
the boy alone." He ordered his son sternly. "You have too much to answer to before   
you start with Yugi."  
  
The jolt of emotion shocked Yami awake from his soul room. Ruby colored eyes   
were revealed when the eyelids slide back and the former Pharaoh of Egypt climbed   
from his bed to follow the trail of feelings from his partner.  
Opening the door of his room, he viewed across the hallway to the more brightly lit   
space filled with toys and games. Yugi's soul room. With the doorway open, he   
knew Yugi wasn't asleep and currently held possession of the body.  
Using a bit of power from the Millennium Puzzle, Yami separated from Yugi and found   
himself sitting in a small closet-like space in the attic. Yami knew Yugi had an access   
panel in his room but he'd never seen him use it. "Aibou…" Yami's voice trailed off   
as he viewed Yugi. The smaller form was crying, his arms wrapped around himself   
while he shook from the force of his sobs. The dark half of the two reached out a   
hand towards Yugi and gave a startled sound when the teen grabbed onto him   
suddenly. Yami wrapped his arms around Yugi in concern, eyes narrowing. "What   
happened?"  
"T-There's…he—that..." Yugi stuttered, trying to form a sentence but failing.  
A growl came to Yami's throat and he tightened his hold protectively around Yugi.   
"Has someone harmed you? If they have I'll—"  
"No." Yugi's soft voice stopped Yami's threat. He knew very well what the Game   
King could do and has done to those that meant to hurt him. "My…father…is down   
there." Yugi could barely hear his own voice speak the words but knew that Yami   
heard him.  
"How is that possible? The gravesite earlier—"  
"I don't know!" Yugi cried and buried his face against the leather of Yami's shirt,   
muffling his words. "He's supposed to be dead! Mamma said he was gone! So why   
are they down there talking tot hat man as if he was my father?!"  
"Aibou..."Yami sighed and just held Yugi. He remembered his own father   
Aknamkanon and how close he was to him. At least he had known him before he   
died but Yugi had no memory or anything to compare to the truth. No wonder he   
was so scared. "Yugi, we will find out the truth, I promise you."  
Yugi sniffled and slowly sat back, wiping the tears from his face. "Mind Crush him if   
he's a liar."  
Yami smiled a little and ran fingers through Yugi's soft spiky hair, feeling him calm.   
"I promise that as well.. Now, why are you in here?"  
"This is my cave." Yugi's violet gaze wandered around the cubby hole that had some   
clothes and a few old toys. "I came here a lot when I was younger…"  
"Why?"  
"Because I was teased a lot. I'm short, poor in sports but smart in academics,   
strange hair…and that I had no father." Yugi responded.  
"So you hid up here to get away from it all…but it didn't go away, did it?"  
Yugi shook his head. "No."  
"Then let's leave this darkness." Yami moved to the access panel and opened it.   
"Come back into the light, where you belong." Yami encouraged him, motioning   
down to the lit room.  
"Thank you, Yami." Yugi finally gave him a smile and slid down to his room.  
"Oh and aibou?" Yami jumped down and moved the panel back into place. "Your   
hair isn't strange."  
"A heh…hai, you're right." Yugi pushed a golden bang from his face and left the   
bedroom to go to the main living room where the adults were gathered. His eyes   
were fixed on the man seated on the couch though. "Who are you, really?"  
The soft voice from behind him startled Gikyoku, making him turn to see the teen.   
"I..I'm Gikyoku Mutou."  
Yugi walked around and stood by his mother. "Mamma?"  
"Yugi, I don't know exactly the full story here…but this man is your biological father."   
Ashita spoke, putting her hand on her son's shoulder.  
"My son," Gikyoku had to smile. The boy certainly resembled him in physical   
features even if he did share Sogoroku's shortness gene.   
"MY son." Ashita said, her voice edged in steel. "Where have you been? I have   
raised him with Sogoroku and now you show up after I've declared you dead years   
ago?"  
"Dead?" Gikyoku stood up, facing them. "But I'm not."  
"How were we supposed to know? That huge explosion, then you missing…I had to   
move on!" Ashita shouted at him. "You have no idea what it was like, being   
unmarried and with a child. If Sogoroku hadn't come to my aid, I don't know what   
would have happened to us."  
"I-I'm sorry, it's so hard to explain, but you all have every right to be angry. I would   
have contacted you…but…" Gikyoku took a step towards them before stopping and   
staring as another person walked into the room and stood beside Yugi."  
"Go on." Yami spoke, not caring what the man thought of him. He would stand with   
his family no matter what.  
"Twins?!" Gikyoku asked in surprise.  
"No exactly." Yami replied with a small shrug. "Doesn't matter. You're the one   
supposed to be explaining, not me."  
Gikyoku certainly wasn't expecting such words from a near identical twin of his son.   
His eyes finally moved from the teen's face to the golden pyramid hanging around   
his neck. "The artifact!" His eyes flickered to Yugi, seeing the duplicate Puzzle   
partially hidden by the boy's jacket. "Two? Which is real?"  
"That is none of your business." Yami glared at Gikyoku, his patience at an end.  
"It is. People have died because of it." Gikyoku insisted. "It must be destroyed!"  
Yugi's eyes widened in alarm and he grabbed Yami's arm. "You can't! I won't let you   
kill Yami!"  
"Yami? So you're the demon…" Gikyoku paled. "Yugi, get away from him. He's not   
what you think he is!"  
"I know who Yami is, you're the stranger!" Yugi shot back, tears threatening to start   
again, but they didn't. His yami was with him and he would take strength from that.   
"He's helped me with so much. Helped me with finding good friends, saving my   
grandfather, saving myself…"  
"Yugi, he is a demon, he can't save anyone." Gikyoku stepped closer, daring Yami   
with his eyes.  
"Half." The Game King corrected. "And I'd like to know how you came into   
possession of this knowledge."  
Yugi was surprised but didn't loosen his hold. "Yami…"  
Yami kept his gaze on the older man before him. "No one is supposed to know that   
information. So how do you?"  
"I know because I've been trapped by the government and they are the ones who   
told me. You're part of their plan as well and I'll be damned if I'll let them carry it   
out." Gikyoku vowed, raising the tension in the air.  
"All I care about," Yami said carefully, keeping his temper in check. "Are my current   
life and responsibilities. I don't acknowledge the different blood."  
"They sure as hell want you to." Gikyoku interjected. "They'll try to find me no   
doubt, then they'll find you."   
"Easy enough answer there. Get lost." Yami replied as if it was the most logical   
answer.  
Sogoroku finally got between them. "That's enough. We all keep everyone safe. We   
should be celebrating Gikyoku's return, not fighting. I have my son back. I want to   
get to know him again."  
Yami eyed Gikyoku once more before nodding. "Alright Jisan, I'll back off…for now."  
Ashita placed a hand on Yami's shoulder as well as Yugi's. "Yami is a part of Yugi,   
which makes him my son as well. Don't you ever insult my children again." She   
nudged the two and the three of them entered the kitchen to give father and son   
time to talk.  
The elder Mutou turned to his long-lost son and embraced him. "I missed you. We   
truly thought you were dead. You even have a gravestone. There's so much to   
catch up on and to tell you about."  
"Dad, Yami really hasn't harmed you? But he's so dangerous, you never know when   
he'll attack!"  
"Shhh…I would trust Yami with my life. In fact, I have done so before." Sogoroku   
said patiently. "He is no demon or whatever because I haven't seen anything prove   
otherwise."  
"Dad, it's not safe, get rid of him before some kind of horror comes down."  
"Gikyoku, I will not be rid of my grandson. Neither of them." Sogoroku said firmly,   
ending the conversion before ushering his son to the bath. "You get cleaned up   
while I find fresh clothing. And son, I'm glad to have you back."  
"Thanks dad." Gikyoku nodded with a smile before sliding the bath door shut.  
  
"Neh Yami?"  
"Hm?"  
"Are you really a demon?"  
"Yes. Grr." Yami smirked and nudged Yugi. "Careful, I'll eat you alive and make   
horrible 'needs salt' comments while digesting you."  
"Eww…" Yugi made a face at the teasing before going back to cleaning the   
vegetables for dinner.  
Yami paused in the middle of chopping a carrot. "Does it really bother you?"  
"Nope."  
"Good. The sink's overflowing."  
"….AAAH!"  
  
To Be Continued… 


End file.
